(from left to right) Paul Gässler, Prof. Dr. Maja Temerinac-Ott, David Kopecky, Oliver Jehle, Michael Heller
Students develop smart solution for efficient use of space
Four computer science students at Furtwangen University have received an award for their outstanding semester project on the intelligent recording of room utilisation. Albert Rico Martin, David Kopecky, Paul Gässler and Oliver Jehle received a €500 voucher from M&M Software on Computer Science Day in recognition of their innovative solution. The prize was presented by Michael Heller, himself a computer science graduate of HFU and now Group Leader & Senior Project Manager at M&M Software.
The award-winning project group, supervised by Prof. Dr. Maja Temerinac-Ott, developed a cost-effective system for recording the number of people in lecture halls and seminar rooms. The recording had become necessary because the state ministries require universities in Baden-Württemberg to regularly check the utilisation of space. Mr. Mielke, Head of Technical Services on the Furtwangen Campus, initiated the project with the aim of developing an internal technical solution.
The intelligent software system developed uses image data processing and object recognition to update room occupancy every 10 minutes without violating the privacy of users. Using a wide-angle camera, the room occupancy data is analysed in real time without storing data or transferring it to the cloud.
The project group mastered complex challenges such as data protection and efficient data transfer and developed a sustainable and cost-saving solution for the university. Their success in the competition for the best semester project underlines the high level of practice-oriented computer science education at Furtwangen University.